Make Hot Honey With Just Three Ingredients

Hot honey is a persistent seasoning. Popularized by brands like Mike’s and Trader Joe’s many years ago, this hot, sweet and spicy sauce adds flavor to fried chicken, grilled meats, roasted vegetables, pizza, liver and cheese plates. It may sound too delicious to DIY, but don’t let Dave fool you: hot honey is one of the easiest condiments you can make at home.

You’ll need three things: honey, pepper (fresh, dried or flakes) and a little apple cider vinegar to give it a kick and keep it moving. That’s all.

Prepare light hot honey with fresh or dried peppers.

Hot honey is a forgiving and adaptable guy that pairs equally well with fresh peppers and dried chili flakes. Even crushed bags of red peppers from your local pizzeria will work just fine, as will the dried guajillo peppers lying around in your pantry (as long as you chop them up first) or the sad jalapeño that didn’t make it into your last batch of salsa.

When working with dried foods, try to use a ratio of two to three tablespoons crushed pepper to a cup of honey; If you’re working with fresh peppers, use one or two chopped peppers per cup, depending on their size and heat level, and your desire for heat.

Easy homemade hot honey

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh pepper, such as serrano or jalapeno, or 2 to 3 tablespoons crushed dried pepper or red pepper flakes
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

For fresh peppers: Start by preparing the peppers. If you are working with fresh peppers, wash and dry them completely, then slice thinly and place the slices in a small saucepan. Add honey and bring to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and add apple cider vinegar, then strain out the pepper pieces and let cool. (You can save them to sprinkle on salads or bake in cornbread for some candied and spicy accents.) Store hot honey made from fresh peppers in an airtight jar or bottle in the refrigerator.

For dried peppers: If you are working with whole dried peppers such as guajillo, chipotle or chile de arbol, remove the stems (and seeds if you want to turn the heat down a bit), toast them briefly in a dry frying pan until they color a little, then let Cool completely and then pulse them in a food processor to break them into flakes. Measure out 2-3 tablespoons of flakes (depending on the heat of your peppers and your tolerance for heat) or 2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper, then add to a small saucepan along with the honey. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and add vinegar. There is no need to strain hot honey made from dried peppers or flakes (although you can if you prefer a smooth sauce), simply pour it into a jar or bottle and store it in a cool, dry place.

Part of the thrill of making hot honey is experimenting, so don’t be afraid to mix up the peppers, substitute the vinegar, or even add a few drops of hot sauce for even more flavor.